The Best Deceptions
by GodKing1228
Summary: Hugo faces love, traitors, and mystery as he must travel through time to defeat an age-old enemy. Involves characters from all 3 games. NEW UPDATE 121203 RR
1. The sum of all fears

**The Best Deceptions**   
by Jeremy Gordon (gordon8_26@yahoo.com) 

**Note:** This fic takes place in the S3 timeline. All the viewpoints have merged by now, and time has progressed. It's about in Chapter 5 by now. The true runes have NOT been taken from Hugo and Chris, but Geddoe has lost his.. This will mainly be from Hugo's perspective. I might change the game history a bit, but not by much. This will be a long fic, approximately 20-30 chapters or so. Suikoden is copyrighted to Konami. *SPOILER ALERT* There are spoilers for Chapter 4 and 5. 

* * *

Hugo stared out at the blue ocean, thinking to himself. It was the third month of the war, and the forces of Budehuc Castle were at a standstill with the wizard Luc and his minions. It had been three months since Geddoe had taken the True Fire Rune and become the Flame Champion, leading an offensive attack against Luc. Hugo paused, and stared at the True Lightning Rune on his right hand, shaking his head. How had it come to this? It was only four months ago that Hugo had set out from the Karayan Village, with his friends Lulu, Sgt. Joe, and Fubar in tow. Lulu... 

Hugo punched the rail of the ship, in anger. _Dammit..._, he thought, closing his eyes. She killed him. The silver-haired maiden...she had killed Lulu. In one fell swoop, she had killed him. It echoed through Hugo's mind, constantly. He had stopped his retaliation against her in the time of war, but he would never forgive her. No, Hugo could not give up Lulu like that. _When this is over...I will kill her. I swear to you Lulu...I will kill her._

* * *

Hugo walked into the courtyard of Budehuc Castle, staring around him. It was a beautiful place, with an incredible bevy of people to interact with, daily. "Hey Edge." 

"Hugo! What's up?" The wandering swordsman Edge looked up, waving his hand in greeting. 

"Nothing much. Just walking around...you?" Hugo answered, looking the red-haired man in the eye. 

"Same. I've done nothing in the three months I've been here anyways." Edge chuckled, shifting the Star Dragon Sword to the right of him. 

"How true, same he---" Hugo started to answer, but his answer was snapped short by a buzzing sound, and a *PLOP!* noise. A figure fell in front of him, and rolled over. As Hugo ran to the person, he saw it was a female, and that her face was bleeding. In sudden shock, Hugo recognized her. 

"AILA!" 

* * *

"How is she doing?" Hugo asked Lucia, who turned around to face her son. 

"She's fine...Tuta says she's woken up by now." Lucia responded, her face folded in sorrow. Aila was like a daughter to her...if she had died, Lucia wouldn't have known what to do. 

"Good, then we can ask her what happened." From behind Lucia echoed the harsh voice of Salome, second-in-command of the Six Zexen Knights. Lucia's bright eyes flashed in anger. 

"Absolutely not! This child has just recovered from the brink of death. We will wait a day, for her to recover." 

"No. This cannot be. Luc could strike at any time. We need to know what happened, and what has happened to the rest of her company. Stand aside, or I will be prepared to use force." Salome said sternly, drawing the handle on his mace. 

"I'd like to see you TRY." Lucia hissed, pulling out her whip. The two looked each other in the face until a third interrupted them. 

"Please! Don't fight! This is a place of peace!" Thomas, master of Budehuc Castle yelled, his face in worry. "Salome, let Hugo ask Aila about what happened. Lucia, try to understand Salome...we have to find out what happened. Hugo, you know her best, so you should go." 

"Hmph. It's nice to see that ALL men with power aren't conceited fools. Hugo! Let's go." Lucia sneered in her opponent's face, turning around and proceeding into the room. Hugo followed his mother, shaking his head in disbelief. He just couldn't believe her. 

* * *

Hugo walked into the room cautiously, on light feet. He saw Mio the nurse sitting down, next to Aila. Mio nodded her head in approval, and gestured for the young Karayan to come closer. Lucia stood back in the corner of the room, watching her son. Hugo walked up to Aila, and sat down. 

"Aila...? Are you awake?" Hugo asked softly, staring at his friend. Tears came to his eyes, and he shook them away. 

"H..H...Hugo? Is..that you?" The eyes of the young girl opened, as she turned her head to look at Hugo. 

"It's me..." Hugo was happy to know that she was okay. Then, remembering his mission, he sat up straight and cleared his throat. "I need to ask you something. Who did this to you?" 

"It...it...it was Luc..." Aila whispered, her eyes filling up with water. "That bastard...he ambushed us in Mount Senai. We had freed the people of Le Buque...they had escaped, with the help of Iku and F-F-Franz." Aila coughed, sending up a smidge of blood. Hugo withdrew, in shock. Mio dabbed the lips of the girl with a wet cloth, and administered some medicine. Aila sat back up again, and continued. 

"He...he took Geddoe's rune. I don't know how he did it, but he did. He said he would be coming after Chris, and then you. Before we could escape, he attacked us. He somehow found a way to wield more than one true rune at the same time...he had his wind rune, the True Earth Rune, and the True Fire Rune all equipped at the same time. Before he could kill us, Duke and his group intervened, and stalled for us to escape. We ran...we just ran. I looked back, and Luc had knocked out Elaine already, but the other three looked okay." 

"We got to the end. But...waiting for us was Yuber. He unleashed the might of his Eightfold rune on us. He beat Geddoe, Queen, Ace, and Joker easily. Jacques tried to fend him off...but Yuber killed him. He started to attack me. Before he could kill me, I was here. I don't know how..." Aila sniffed, and laid back down, closing her eyes. 

Hugo was dumbfounded, and in his second state of disbelief in ten minutes. "Will she be okay?" he asked Mio, who turned to answer him. 

"She'll be fine...she just needs some more rest. She should be good in a week or so." The young nurse answered, tending to her patient. Lucia walked up to Hugo, who stood up upon hearing Mio's answer. 

"Hugo." Lucia said firmly, gripping her son's shoulder. "This is an urgent matter. We must tell the rest of the leaders...Geddoe has fallen." Hugo nodded, and followed his mother as she walked out the room. 

* * *

R/R I'll have the second part up by the end of next week. 


	2. The plan unfolds

**The Best Deceptions**   
by Jeremy Gordon (gordon8_26@yahoo.com) 

**Note:** This fic takes place in the S3 timeline. All the viewpoints have merged by now, and time has progressed. It's about in Chapter 5 by now. The true runes have NOT been taken from Hugo and Chris, but Geddoe has lost his.. This will mainly be from Hugo's perspective. I might change the game history a bit, but not by much. This will be a long fic, approximately 20-30 chapters or so. Suikoden is copyrighted to Konami. *SPOILER ALERT* There are spoilers for Chapter 4 and 5. 

* * *

Ten minutes after Lucia had sounded the silent alarm, the leaders of Budehuc Castle had arrived in the meeting room. Hugo looked around him. He could count six....Lucia, his mother....Dupa, representative of the Lizard Clan...Thomas, master of Budehuc Castle...Cecile, leader of the Castle Guard...Salome, second-in-command of the Zexen Federation...and _her_. 

Hugo tensed up, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Chris looked at Hugo, and stared directly at him. She furrowed her brow, and turned away, beginning conversation with Salome. Was it...pity? _What does she think she's getting at? If she thinks I'll be fooled by her, she's wrong._ Hugo let these random thoughts pace his head, as the meeting came to place. 

"Order, order!" Thomas called out with a clear voice, silencing the random talking going on in the room. "We have come here because an matter of extreme urgency has been brought to view. Lucia, would you continue?" As he finished, Cecile looked at him with awe. He was no longer the cautious young adult he had been upon arriving to the castle four months ago...he was mature...he was a man. 

"Thank you Thomas. Two hours ago, a fighter of my village, Aila, was teleported to the courtyard. She had suffered grave injuries, and was treated immediately by Doctor Tuta and Nurse Mio. Fifteen minutes ago, we questioned Aila briefly, on what had happened. The worst has been confirmed: Geddoe and his men have been defeated by Luc. They have lost Jacques, the archer. Aila confirmed that Luc has taken the True Fire Rune of Geddoe. She also said that he had the True Earth Rune as well. I can assume that someone in Harmonia must've had it, since no one in Grassland or Zexen could've born it without us knowing. However, that is not the worst part. It has finally happened...the Flame Champion has fallen." Lucia stopped, letting the effect of her words sink into the minds of her audience. 

"H...How is this possible? If Geddoe couldn't defeat Luc...how could we? My god..." Thomas was flabbergasted, as he sat down in his seat. Cecile rushed to his side, consoling her master. 

"Indeed...as you know, my son wields the True Lightning Rune, and Chris wields the True Water Rune. We can only assume that Luc will come after them next. This CANNOT, and WILL NOT be allowed to happen. Aila also said that Luc had equipped the three true runes on his body...all at once. One rune made him one of the strongest mages in the land. I can only imagine what three could do..." Lucia finished, sitting back down in her seat. 

"...this is grave news indeed. What can we do about it? It seems inevitable that Luc will defeat us...how can we defeat him?" Salome asked the leaders, with a puzzled look on his face. 

"Even if we did find a way, it could not work. The Flame Champion defeated...the news will break the morale of our men. They will have no will to fight without their hero...Dammit!" Dupa stamped his Grides into the ground, in obvious anger. 

"I agree with Dupa. The soldiers only fought because Geddoe had led them on. Without him, they do not want to fight. This is a meaningless war. As much as I hate to say it, we are fighting for a lost cause." Chris backed up the Lizard Clan fighter, with an equally angry look on her face. 

"Look at you!" Everyone turned, to look at the furious eyes of Cecile, castle guard captain. "All of you are just giving up! How can you? Zexen...Grasslands...even Harmonia...they are all counting on us to win! How can you think of quitting? Everyone is depending on us. If we cannot fight, we might as well just surrender to Luc right now." The words of Cecile echoed in the room, as an awkward silence followed. Hugo stayed seated in the corner, watching the events unfold. Suddenly, his mother stood up. 

"Cecile is right. We cannot give up now. To do so would to spit in the face of all the people of the land. However..." Lucia started to say, pausing for thought. "However....I have another suggestion. It's farfetched, but it may work." 

"Well? Say it!" Salome shouted in obvious impatience, as Thomas glared at him with a reprimanding look. Lucia gave an equally evil glare at Salome, then continued. 

"Fifteen years ago...I aided Jowy Atreides in his fight against the Allied Army. I failed of course, and am here to live about it. I regreat my past...but I now realize something." Lucia finished, and continued on. "We need more allies. Our major fighter has been defeated. We know that many other True Runes exist. The Rune of Beginning, The Blue Moon Rune, the Circle Rune, the Dragon Rune, the Soul Eater, the Gate Rune, the Night Rune, and the Sovereign Rune. Hikusaak is missing, and asking him for the Circle Rune is impossible. The Sovereign Rune is missing. The Night Rune...I will address it later. The Dragon Rune belongs to Joshua Levenheit. The Blue Moon Rune...Sierra would never let us have it. The Gate Rune is impossible, Leknaat would not aid us. The Rune of Beginning and the Soul Eater...we know where they are." 

"They belong to Riou and Tir McDohl. These two have helped save the continent twice before, fifteen years ago and eighteen years ago. We need their help, to defeat our enemy. They knew Luc, and know more about him than any of us, save Viki or Futch. Pesmerga...Viktor...Flik...we need our allies of old. I hope you know what I am suggesting." 

"We must find these old allies, and get them to help us. We cannot win without them. The plan is obvious to me; Myself, Viki, and Futch will go search for our old allies. The rest of you will hold a defensive against Luc. We will need a month at least to find these old allies...but they will deliver. I just hope that they will join us." Lucia finished, but stayed standing. 

"Then let me help as well." Everyone turned their heads, to see the bishop of Harmonia, Sasarai standing there at the door. "I know about Riou and Tir. I can help find them. I might have been their enemy, but I have changed my ways." 

"You." Salome's eyes glared with malice, as he drew his mace. "What are you doing here?" 

"Luc took my True Earth Rune. The kingdom of Harmonia has abandoned me for the time being...I must seek a way to defeat my brother." Before Salome could comment, Lucia started. 

"Very well. Sasarai, you will come with us. We will ask Lilly Pendragon to go with us as well; for safeguarding as far as Tinto. We leave tomorrow. Dismissed." With that, everyone left the room. Only Hugo was left by himself, and as he walked out, he shook his head at the impending threat of open war. 

* * *

I haven't played Suikoden 1 or 2...I hope I have my history right. R/R 


	3. Two sides of the coin

**The Best Deceptions**   
by Jeremy Gordon (gordon8_26@yahoo.com) 

**Note:** By now, I'm sure you have the explanation down. The story has developed into this so far...I was shaky on my history, but Sierra is good...right? Anyways, maybe I'll introduce her...The Suikoden cast of old for SURE is Riou, Jowy, Tir, Gremio, Joshua, Viktor, Flik, and Pesmerga. I just have to read about those characters...if anyone wants to email me with some characterizations, that would be much appreciated. Suikoden belongs to Konami. 

I might change the direction completely, so I'll see how it turns out. 

* * *

In the meeting room, Lucia had assembled Futch, Viki, Lilly, and Sasarai to discuss the journey to find the bearers of the True Runes, and the people who could also help. 

"People. We are here to discuss the task we must take. You three do not know what we must do, but I will explain. We must find Riou, Tir McDohl, Joshua Levenheit, Viktor, Flik, and Pesmerga. We need their help in order to fend off Luc and his followers for a while, if anything. Futch, Viki, you knew Luc the best...you knew the people we need best. I was hoping you could tell me something about them. I know them by name, but not by personality." Lucia explained, then paused, awaiting an answer. 

"Well..." Futch started to say, thinking for a moment. "When Riou left, he traveled with Jowy and Nanami...Lucia, you know who Jowy is. Anyways, nobody knows where he is...but if I know Riou, he'd be in Kyaro. If we find him, we'll have to take Jowy and Nanami as well. Lucia, you know Jowy better than we did, if anything. Tir...he'd be in Gregminster, with Gremio. I know for a FACT that Gremio would never leave Tir, so we'd have to take him too. Joshua...he was my former captain. If I traveled the Dragon Knights circuit, I'd probably be able to find him. That's all I know." A coughing sound was heard, as everyone turned to Viki. 

"Ummm...Viktor and Flik left on a journey elsewhere last time we all met. Nobody's heard from them in a long, long time. His village was destroyed, so we can't look there...but Pesmerga should be easy. He's bound to be wherever Yuber is, so....oh. I see." Viki realized what her words meant and started to explain, but the brash young Tinto girl interrupted. 

"I don't see why you need me. I don't know any of these people." Lilly hmphed, folding her arms together. 

"We need protection as far as Tinto. No one would give us any trouble if you were with us." Lucia explained, her eyebrow twitching. _Silly girl...._ "What Viki was TRYING to say is that this means Pesmerga is probably tracking Yuber...so either he's very close to Yuber, or Yuber has already defeated him. Either way, it's trouble for us." 

"I need to make a point here." All eyes turned to the seemingly young Harmonian bishop, who had stayed silent throughout everyone's testimony. "There is an old myth in the Circle Palace, engraved into the front walls. It was supposedly written by Hikusaak...it mentions the 108 Stars of Destiny. These were 108 people who by destiny, were drawn together for some reason; to love, to share, to fight, to do whatever...there have been 2 recorded cases of the Stars of Destiny being drawn together: The Gate Rune War and the Dunan Unification War. My brother has been involved in both of these wars, however minor his role. I think that destiny and fate are drawn to him; that as long as he exists, conflict will arise." 

"You make a good point Sasarai." Lucia acknowledged, nodding her head. "However, how is that relevant?" 

"We are the third generation of Stars of Destiny. However, the past Stars of Destiny should still be connected to each other, by their destiny. I believe that they should be able to sense each other...with Viki's teleportation skills, we could sense out these Stars of Destiny, and collect them all." Sasarai finished explaining, and waited for the others to answer. 

"That's a little confusing...but I see what you mean." Viki responded, nodding her head in agreement. 

"That settles it." Futch stated, slamming his fist down onto the main desk. "We leave within ten minutes. We'll start with Gregminster. We won't need Viki's teleportation to get there, so let's let her rest until we need to find Viktor, Flik, Pesmerga, and Joshua." The other people nodded, and set off for the front gate. 

* * *

Hugo sat on the rug of his room, meditating briefly. His thoughts were interrupted by the creaking of the wooden door behind him, as he turned his head slightly to see who it was. Upon looking, he jumped up in alarm. "Chris!" 

"Uh...hi Hugo." The face of the silver-haired maiden peeked out from behind the door, as Chris entered the room, dressed in full Zexen garb. 

"What are you here for?" Hugo's tone was both stern, yet menacing. He made it clear that he didn't want her to be there. 

Chris got the hint, and began to answer. "I just wanted to talk to you...about what happened in Karaya, four months ago." 

Hugo relaxed, then immediately tensed up again. "Why?" 

"I wanted to make sure that you understand my apologies...and that you hold no ill will against me." Chris explained, waiting a response. She was shocked by the venemous tone that emmitted from the Karayan youth. 

"You...you want to apologize? After you burned my village? After you killed...no, massacred my friend?" Alarmed at the sharp tone in Hugo's voice, Chris took a step back. "That's right, you witch. Step BACK. I don't like you whatsoever, and as soon as we defeat Luc, I will fight you, and mark my words, I will **kill** you. You have my word on that. Now leave." 

Chris complied, exiting the room. Leaning on the wall, she sighed and lifted her head to the sky. _Oh goddess...please give me the strength to carry this guilt._

* * *

Aila sat on the bar stool, resting her head on a counter. "Anne, soda me." The blond Karayan handed the young girl a green soda, but paused, as she saw the sad look on her face. 

"Aila, what's wrong?" Aila and Anne had been friends back in the village, and they hadn't talked at all since it had burned down, and Aila had left with Geddoe. 

"Jacques...I can't stop thinking about him." In a second, Anne knew what Aila was sad about. "He...he was like a brother to me. Geddoe...Queen...Ace...Joker...they were all such good friends. I don't know what to do without them. I feel like I'm all alone now." The older woman frowned, and placed a reassuring hand on Aila's shoulder. 

"There there. It'll be okay." 

* * *

A cold wind blew into Budehuc Castle, as a man stepped up to the front gate. Cecile gasped in recognition, and took off in a hurry. "ALARM!! EVERYONE, GET TO THE BASEMENT!" The man watched as all of the inhabitants of Budehuc Castle took off in a hurry, scrambling for shelter. He smirked, and pulled his hat further over his eyes. 

"So...this is the mighty Budehuc Castle. It will be a pleasure killing all of these fools." The man chuckled to himself, drawing his trademark swords. "These fools shall know the name Yuber!" Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind him. 

"I think not...brother." Yuber turned around, and recoiled in shock at the sight of the armored man standing in front of him. Trying to find his voice, he managed to speak one word. 

"P..p...Pesmerga?" 

* * *

I'm sooooo evil....wait for the next part. R/R :^) 


	4. One down, three to go

**The Best Deceptions**   
by Jeremy Gordon (gordon8_26@yahoo.com) 

**Note:** You know the deal by now. I like the way the story is moving, and I've changed my big picture of it. My original story would've culminated in Hugo going to the past, but since I tried (and failed!) to write about the S1/S2 characters in dialogue by themselves, doing that would have kill this fic deader than dead. You'll still get your favorite characters, but by keeping the S3 characters in, I'll keep the story alive. To make things clear...I'm not an avid shipper of Hugo/Chris, as you might've guessed by now. I think it's a truly horrid pairing, and shows no basis throughout the entire game. A friendship, sure, but romance? Not bloody likely. Still, I might change my mind. It isn't revolving around Hugo now, but it will eventually. Suikoden belongs to Konami. 

* * *

Surrounded by the frightened residents of Budehuc Castle, Thomas couldn't help but be scared himself. The world's most feared killer, Yuber, had arrived, and was looking to wreak havoc on the citizens of the castle. Glancing around, he asserted himself and took control. "Cecile. How're we doing with security?" 

"Pretty good. Watari, Ayame, and the lizards are guarding the top entrance. The Zexen Knights are guarding the lower entrance. Shizu shut down the elevator, but Hugo, Sgt. Joe, and Fubar are watching over it anyhow. Still...I don't know if it could stop Yuber." The normally frantic girl had calmed down, in the midst of a serious attack. Thomas smiled to himself, seeing the courage of his guard shine through in the face of adversity. 

"Thomas?" Hearing the voice of Hugo call out his name, Thomas hurried over. 

"What's up?" 

"Something's wrong...he's taken too long." Hugo closed his eyes in thought, as Thomas listened to him. "I've fought Yuber before, and he's one of those 'kill now, ask questions later' type of guys. It's been nearly ten minutes since everyone got collected into the basement. He should've attacked by now..." 

"That makes sense. Should we send anyone out?" The young man was trying to take control of the situation, as he asked Hugo for advice. 

"We might as well. I'll go take a look, okay?" Hugo started to leave, but was stopped by Thomas' restraining arm. 

"Wait. Take Chris with you. If Yuber is alone, he isn't fool enough to face two True Rune bearers. Okay?" Thomas could see the tension in the young Karayan's eyes, processing his request. 

"Fine." Hugo sighed, shaking his head in defeat. "Chris! Get going, we've got a job to do!" Not waiting for the warrior to follow, he exited the basement, into the blinding sun. 

* * *

"P..p...Pesmerga?" 

That was the only word that a shocked Yuber could manage to say, as he backed away slowly. His formerly malicious eyes were now replaced by frightened ones, that glanced from side to side, trying to find a way to escape. The armored man in front of him smirked, and began to speak with a deep voice. 

"Yes...I have finally found you, brother." Pesmerga smirked again, as he stepped closer to his almost identical twin. 

"What do you want?" Yuber's voice was a mere tremble by now, as he continued walking backwards. 

"I want what is mine. The Eightfold rune...give it to me, now!" With a snarl, Pesmerga drew his sword and lept forwars, swinging at Yuber. Yuber jumped backwards, and tried to summon a teleporting spell, but was shocked when it didn't work. 

"What....how is this not working?" 

"You seem to forget my rune...The Ninefold rune. You forget that it will cause chaos to your mind, and distill the order that the Eightfold rune should bring. I've wandered for 300 years with this agonizing pain in my being...now that I have found you, I will not let you go!" Pesmerga swung again, catching his still-in-shock brother in the leg, dropping the demon to a crawl. As Pesmerga walked towards Yuber, Yuber began to plead for his life. 

"Brother...no...I'll give you the rune! I swear! Just let me live!" Yuber's voice was now a desperate whine, as he raised one hand in protest of his certain death. 

"I think not. You have caused our family too much disgrace to be allowed to survive any longer." Pesmerga grabbed Yuber's hand, as Yuber felt an extrordinary pain, as the Eightfold Rune lifted out of Yuber's hand, and placed itself into Pesmerga's. Pesmerga's right hand began to glow, and the Eightfold and Ninefold Runes rose up and combined into one. It spun around, and placed itself into the dark knight's right hand. "Finally...the Yin Yang Rune is united. Now brother, you shall perish." With an agonizing shriek, Yuber felt his body be eradicated as Pesmerga's sword of veangeance swung through it. 

Behind Yuber, Hugo and Chris watched in shock as they saw the one they had feared for months be eliminated in a single strike. Reacting, Chris cried out. 

"You! Who are you?" 

* * *

"So, your name is Pesmerga?" 

That was the question Thomas asked the dark knight, as he sat down in the conference room. 

"Yes." Pesmerga almost muttered it, choosing instead to look as his newly formed True Rune. 

"Why were you chasing Yuber? How did you track him here? Sorry for the questions, but I and my allies need to know." Pesmerga sighed, as he began to explain. 

"Me and Yuber are brothers, from the same bloodline in the underworld. The rune I now posess in my right hand is called the Yin Yang Rune. It has always been in our family, and is an heirloom that is passed down from generation to generation. However...300 years ago, Yuber attempted to steal it. He only succeeded in breaking it apart, into the Eightfold and Ninefold Runes. Eightfold is order, Ninefold is chaos. Yuber took the former. To protect the honor of my family, I took the latter, and began my quest to find him. Since we share two parts of the same rune, I was able to follow Yuber, throughout our bond of the rune. The Yin Yang Rune is the balance of incredible strength, and the power to control it. Now that my quest is complete, I have no purpose of being here. Excuse me as I leave." The tall man turned around and began to leave, but was stopped by Hugo, who stood in his way. "Get out of the way, boy." 

"Wait!" Hugo cried out, raising his hands. "Stay here. My mom, Futch, and Viki went to look for you. We need your help to fight Luc, since he's trying to destroy the world. Please..." 

"Futch? Viki? Luc? Interesting..." Pesmerga showed the faintest sign of recognition, but dismissed it. "I never would've figured Luc to be the murderous type...but no. I have no reason to help you. I must be leaving now." 

"People are in need here? Isn't that reason enough?" With pleading eyes, Hugo remained in the way of the armored dark knight. 

_Hmm...he's just like Tir and Riou...interesting._ "...fine. I will stay here until this ordeal plays out. Do not waste my time. You can explain things to me now." Pesmerga finished his response, choosing to walk with Hugo as the young boy began to explain the happenings of the past four months. 

* * *

I got from Suikosource that Eightfold is order, and Ninefold is chaos. Hope you get that. R/R 


	5. A day off

**The Best Deceptions**   
by Jeremy Gordon (gordon8_26@yahoo.com) 

**Note:** All write and no reviews make SDM a dull boy. Seriously, review it if you read it. The reviews are always encouraging to write more. Anyways, the story is still developing. In this chapter, I'm going to focus more on characterization and development of the character relationships more than the story. I do support Thomas/Cecile; it's the most obvious pairing in the game, besides the stated ones (Iku/Franz, etc). Well...Luc/Sarah is fairly obvious as well. You people...I'm getting more turned on to Hugo/Chris as I think about it. We'll see...Now, onto the story! Read/review, I need it. 

* * *

Previously... 

_Geddoe and the mercenaries are missing in action. Lucia, Futch, Viki, Sasarai, and Lilly have embarked on a quest to find the former Stars of Destiny. Pesmerga has come to Budehuc, and killed Yuber. He has decided to stay until the events play out._

"Y'know Hugo, that Pesmerga guy creeps me out." Fourteen-year old Kidd told the teen sitting across from him, while sticking a spoon full of Mantik into his mouth. "I've been watching him for a few days...he doesn't eat, ever! Plus, he doesn't even sleep! I asked Mio if she had made a room for him, and she said that he turned down one. That's pretty creepy, I guess." 

"Probably because he's a demon, and all." Sitting across from the grey-capped detective, Hugo took a swig of freshly made orange juice. "Man...Mamie sure is a good cook." 

"Anyways, I get the feeling he isn't really a 'people person', get my drift? Seems like he'd rather kill people than help them. Heck, I asked Apple, and she said he was a borderline psychopath when she knew him!" Kidd's eyes widened, as he voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't know...I don't feel like I can trust him." 

"Oh, back off." Hugo retorted, slightly miffed. "Thomas said his rune is supposed to make him calm...he might have been crazy before, but that's all countered now. I think we should just try to accept him for now. Well...as much as one can accept a hulking dark knight dressed in black armor. I'm going to get some more Mantik. You want any more?" 

"Nah, I'm good. Koichi looks like he wants some. Who's a good doggie? Who's a good doggie?" As his friend tickled the red bandana'd dog under his chin, Hugo could only stare in disbelief. 

* * *

Nash found Chris sitting in her room, staring out the ship window. "Now, what's a gal like you doing in a place like this?" Recognizing the voice, Chris turned around and tried to put on a smile, but Nash saw right through it. "Hey--what's wrong? You aren't frowning for no reason." 

"This may sound stupid, but..." Chris started to say, but paused as she turned her head to the side, shaking her head. "It's Hugo. He...he said he would kill me, because of what I did to him and his people. I've just...never seen such fury in someone so young, directed at me. It unnerves me. I actually believe him, that he'll try to kill me once this war is over." 

"Hmmm..." The Harmonian spy thought to himself, placing a finger on his chin. "I know Hugo...that seems odd of him. I'll talk to him." 

"Oh, don't bother Nash." Chris turned around only to see a swinging door. "...damn." 

* * *

Hugo glared at his opponent, trying to keep a mask of solitude on. His eyebrow twitching, he drew...what would happen next depended on luck. Hugo sighed, and put his cards down. 

"Eight. No more cards." Across him, the wily gamesman Mike smiled, brushing his red hair out of his eyes. 

"As you say. Dealer draws....eight. Eight plus Ace makes nine. Kabu. I win." As Hugo blinked in disbelief, he scratched his head in wonderment. 

"You...aargh, that was my last hundred potch too." Hugo grumbled, reaching into his pockets to pull out the small bag of coins. He handed them over to the chuckling man, who swiftly pocketed it. "Man, you must be the richest man in Budehuc." 

"Oh...I don't know about that. Martha is pretty rich, what with the racket she and Piccolo have going..." Mike stopped to muse a second, but stopped when he saw a familiar blond-haired man walk up to Hugo. "Oh, Nash! What's up?" 

"Nothing much. I have to talk to Hugo. Hugo, will you walk with me?" Cocking his head in wonderment, Hugo complied, taking his place next to Nash, as they walked outside the sideroom and to the outside of Budehuc. 

"Nash...what do you want to talk to me about?" Hugo asked, still puzzled. He had never gotten the chance to talk to the Harmonian spy, because...well, their interests had never really collided. 

"Chris." Nash tilted his head to see Hugo's reaction, and saw none. "She's upset because of this whole problem, between you and her." 

"Not my problem." Hugo said nonchalantly, brushing the hair out of his face. Nash frowned, obviously getting nowhere. "She may not have a problem with me, but I have a problem with her. I'd like to keep it that way." 

"Why would you?" Nash pressed on, sensing something amiss here. He had noticed that Hugo was always quiet whenever Chris was mentioned. "You can tell me." 

_Yeah, right._ Hugo thought, rolling his eyes. _Ah...what the hell._ "This'll seem sort of dumb...but when I first saw Chris, I thought she was really beautiful. I started falling in love with her...but then, she killed Lulu. It shames me, but I wasn't truly angry at her. By not being angry with her, I...I shamed the memory of Lulu. It confused me. She had killed my best friend, but I still couldn't feel any true hatred towards her. I knew...if I pushed her away, if I hurt her, then I could stifle any feelings I had for her." Nash was stunned, obviously not expecting such a complex answer. 

"I see." Nash said, in a simple, yet understanding tone. "I've got to go. Bye." Before Hugo noticed, Nash Latkje had left. 

* * *

Chris was still in the same spot when Nash returned to her room. Seeing him, she straightened up and began to ask. "Well? What did he say?" 

"I can't tell you...but know this, looks are decieving. Don't neglect him just because he neglects you. It's the only way to gain his trust." Nash explained, then adapted a kinder face. Turning around, he began to walk out until Chris asked him another question. 

"Nash...?" Chris' voice was light, and Nash could sense an important question coming on. "You never told me...who is your 'missus'?" For a second, Nash blushed, and Chris could see his ears turn bright red. Chuckling silently, she waited for an answer. 

"Ah..well..er...you see...um...her name is Sierra Mikain. Ask our new guest about her." Before Chris could ask something else, Nash walked in a hurry out the door. 

"New guest...?" Chris thought for a second, as the answer dawned upon her. "Oh! Pesmerga!" 

* * *

"On the count of three, name your dream person. One...two...three!" 

"Chris!" 

"Lady Chris!" 

"Wan Fu!" 

"..." 

"...I think I'll be getting out of the bath right now." 

"What? Oh no! I didn't mean it like that! Melville, don't go!" 

"I think I'll be going too. Good luck with that, Rody." 

"You too Louis? Oh, that's not fair!" 

* * *

"Aaaah....uh...." 

"Aroooooooo!" 

".....Juliet....aaaaah...." 

"Arooooo!" 

"Bzzt. Bzzzzt. Bzzt." 

"Huh? Where am I?" 

"Aroooooo!" 

"Aaaaaaah....." 

As the audience of Alanis, Shabon, and Emily pelted the cast with garbage, Nadir couldn't help but feel sad. Tuta, Koroku, Ruby, and Viki...a cast doomed to fail. 

* * *

"Pesmerga?" Chris asked, her voice a melodious echo. "Um, can I ask you something?" Entering the room, she felt a shudder come over her. 

"Ask." Pesmerga answered without emotion, without even looking at her. 

"What do you know about Sierra Mikain? A friend of mine is married to her, and I---" 

"Sierra? Married to a human?" Pesmerga's voice got higher, and it was the most emotion Chris had ever seen from him in the week that he had been at Budehuc. "Haha! Ahahaha! That would be a sight to see! That poor fool!" Chris was puzzled by Pesmerga's answer, and decided to leave it at that. 

"Uh, okay." With that, Chris turned and left the still chuckling dark knight to his own means. 

* * *

Read and review. NOW. 


	6. The war begins

**The Best Deceptions**   
by Jeremy Gordon (gordon8_26@yahoo.com) 

**Note:** Yep. This probably won't become a fullfledged Hugo/Chris fic, but there definitely will be undertones of such a pairing. They won't end up hating each other at the end...I'll leave that to you. I need a beta reader, to proofread my story for spelling and grammar mistakes. If you're interested, drop me an e-mail explaining why you want to be one for this story, and I'll see about it. A lot of stuff happens here. The longest chapter will probably next chapter...wait for it. I've decided to go with the ending in S2 where Riou kills Jowy, takes the rune, and leads the country. My explanation is that Lucia knew Riou had some part of the rune, but didn't know that Jowy and Nanami were dead. Um, usual disclaimers and all. Read and review...now! 

* * *

"Mmfrvle mkk..." That was the only sound heard from a bundle of orange cloth, which shuddered and shook for several seconds before uncovering itself to be Piccolo, the castle fortuneteller. Grumbling to himself, the old mage slowly got up from his bed, grasping onto his magic staff with his spindly fingers. Stifling a yawn, Piccolo scratched his white beard, while trudging his way down the stairs to the outside, to his tent. 

Piccolo got to his tent, and sat down, still blinking bright stars from his eyes. Lighting a fire in the middle of the tent, Piccolo sprinkled some powder into the flame, making it shoot up in size and intensity. Mumbling, he moved to get his staff, but shot up, his eyes turning a blank white. From inside his mind, several voices spoke, confusing the gentle old man. 

_Did you really think I would stay on your side...? Haha! _

Golems, attack! 

Geddoe, no! 

Sierra, bow before my will! 

You...it's you! 

RIOU! RUN! 

Piccolo could only listen in puzzlement, but shuddered when an ominous, deep voice spoke clearly to him. 

**Tell him. Tell your master that he, along with his castle, will die today. This is the will of Luc.**

With that, the voices stopped. Scared, Piccolo got up in a shock. Running as fast as his old legs could carry him, he ran to Thomas to tell him the bad news. 

* * *

Hugo yawned sleepily, as his bright eyes uncovered themselves in the new day. _Good morning sunshine..._ Closing his eyes again, Hugo rolled over into his bed, clutching his pillow to him closely. However, he found himself woken up by gloved hands, shaking the boy furiously. 

"Hugo! Wake up!" Hugo recognized the voice, and groaned inwardly. 

"Cecile? Why're you waking me up?" Hugo muttered, holding his hand to his forehead in annoyance. The answer he recieved was shocking, and to the point. 

"Thomas is declaring an emergency. You have to report to the main room. Luc is attacking Budehuc today." With that, the armored girl shuffled out of Hugo's room quickly, letting the door slam loudly. Blinking, Hugo absorbed what she had said, and shot up in a panic. Rushing to throw his clothes on, he cursed the spirits. 

* * *

"So? Why are we here?" Such was the harsh tone of Salome's voice that Thomas shuddered, in obvious dislike of the brash Zexen man. 

"My fortuneteller, Piccolo, had a vision this morning. He heard several voices, but one distinct voice said that Luc would be attacking Budehuc later today. I've called you all here to discuss defense plans. We have to be ready...and in such short notice." Thomas explained, crossing his arms. To the left of him, Pesmerga growled, as he leaned against the back wall. 

"I don't like this. Luc may be foolhardy, but he isn't stupid. He wouldn't attack unless he was confident he could win." The dark knight muttered, keeping his eyes closed. 

"That's my concern...and with Lucia gone, Hugo will have to take over the Karayan command in her place. We're going to split into six groups, with a hundred soldiers in each battalion. Chris, Hugo, Pesmerga, Salome; you head the first four. Me and Cecile will keep the peace at the base. Got it? Now...go." With that, everyone split up to raise their forces for the coming war. 

* * *

Hugo turned his head to look at the many soldiers sitting on the castle grounds, but kept quiet. Making his way to the front gates, he spotted Thomas and rushed over. "Thomas! How're we doing?" Thomas turned to see the young boy, as his eyes widened in recognition. 

"Ah, I've been looking for you!" Grasping the Karayan's shoulders with his hands, Thomas withdrew immediately, embarassed a little. "Everyone's ready. We had Kathy race on her horse to the Great Hollow, Brass Castle, and Duck Village. She got the soldiers needed, and teleported back using the Blinking Mirror that the other Viki gave us. We're good to go...we're just waiting for Luc." 

"That's good to know, but...something feels wrong. I have this feeling like something big is going to happen...I don't know. Where are the other leaders?" Hugo asked, after tilting his head in thought. 

"Pesmerga is getting his sword touched up a bit. Chris and Salome are discussing strategy, in the main room." Thomas said, but stopped Hugo as the youth started to walk away. "You should wait here, in case something happens." Nodding in agreement, Hugo stayed his ground, watching the plains ahead. A loud pop was heard, as a group of people appeared in front of the castle. Hugo gasped in shock when he realized who it was. 

"Mother!" Hugo recognized Lucia, Futch, Viki, Sasarai, and two others who were unknown to him. As he reached Lucia, he started asking questions immediately. "Who're they?" Smiling at her anxious son, Lucia was quick to answer. 

"This is Riou and Tir McDohl." Hugo realized who they were, and stood in awe of the two heroes in front of him. 

"Hello." Riou muttered, his eyes straying to the side, looking at the soldiers behind Hugo. 

"Nice to meet you." Tir had the same nonchalant air, as he brushed a few hair strands out of his face. Hugo wanted to talk to them later, but began talking to his mother first. Behind him, Futch and Viki interacted with Pesmerga, their faces surprised. 

"Mom...what about the other three? Viktor, Flik, and Joshua...what happened to them?" Hugo asked, wondering if something had gone wrong. Sighing, Lucia answered Hugo with a heavy heart. 

"We couldn't find them. In the three weeks we were gone, we weren't able to get one word of their whereabouts. We returned, because we couldn't look for them for too long, because we were needed her. We weren't able to find Pesmerga either, but..." Glancing over her son's shoulder, Lucia saw the dark knight in realization. "So...he came here. Yuber?" 

"Right." Hugo nodded, confirming Lucia's thoughts. "Pesmerga tracked him her and killed him." Noticing what seemed to be a sharp intake of air from the older woman, Hugo dismissed it. 

"I see. Well, that takes care of that. I should go talk to Thomas, get the situation. It's good to see you." Lucia hugged her protesting son, and walked to the master of Budehuc Castle. "Thomas!" Turning away, Hugo looked at the two men in front of him. 

"So...Riou and Tir. What have you two been up to?" Hugo noticed as the two men looked at each other, as Tir started. 

"Well...I've been travelling with my servant Gremio and staying in my house in Gregminster. I was briefly in the Dunan Unification War, but never got much out of that. That's a long story made short." The seemingly young man stopped, as Riou continued. 

"After the Dunan Unification War ended...I took my place as leader of Dunan. I withdrew from office a year okay, and I've spent my time in the country, just wandering..." There seemed to be more to the wistful man, and Hugo mentally told himself to find out later. Before Hugo could say anything, he heard a huge cry come from the direction of Cecile. 

"Enemy sighted!" Hugo spun around to the front, squinting his eyes into the distance. He saw a faint outline of people, and narrowed his eyes. To the left of him, Thomas looked ahead in worry, as he wiped his brow. 

"So...it begins." Thomas muttered, shaking his head. "Troops! Ready!" With a strong yell of unity, the army of good stomped their weapons against the ground, as the leaders of the various batallions took order. "Ah, Chris, Salome...just in time!" Noticing the man and woman run towards him, Thomas stepped to explain. "Lucia's back. Get your men ready...we can't let them get to the castle, so we're going to meet them halfway. Go!" With a nod of understanding, Chris and Salome rushed off. Thomas turned and spotted Hugo, then ran over to him. "Hugo...take Riou and Tir with you, to fight. Lucia will stay with me. Pair off with Pesmerga, and head out." Hugo nodded also, and taking the two men next to him, he ran off. 

With a slow start, four hundred soldiers set off, on their way to face destiny. After a walk of fifteen minutes, the Harmonian soldiers came into view. 

A silence was heard. Hugo gasped in sight, at the view of nearly two thousand Harmonian troops. Noticing his opponent's surprise, Luc smirked with a cruel glare. 

"Too intense for you? Just retreat now, and save yourself the humilation of defeat." Luc's voice was cold and cutting, as he looked Hugo in the face. 

"Never." Hugo retorted, his eyes glaring fiercely. From behind him, Tir spoke. 

"Luc? Is that you?" Tir asked in recognition of the Harmonian bishop. Looking behind Hugo, Luc realized who it was. 

"So...Tir and Riou. You've come back." Luc said, almost mockingly. "I'm sorry you had to see this, but you must die. No hard feelings, eh?" Tir was silent, his eyes closed as he spoke a quiet prayer for the man. 

"Don't chat. Just fight." Hugo yelled harshly, drawing his dagger. Luc turned his glance, and resumed his stare-fest. 

"Please, you start." Luc said with an amused tone, gesturing with his hand. Nodding, Hugo sheathed his dagger, and put his hands together, beginning to concentrate. As Hugo glowed blue, the air around him crackled with electricity. With a mighty cry, Hugo set off ten thousand volts worth of electricity into the front line of the Harmonian troops. Luc formed a barrier around himself, but didn't protect the soldiers around him. With a howl of agony, a hundred Harmonian soldiers found themselves vanquished. Catching his breath, Hugo stood up straight. 

_Damn...my strongest spell, and he wasn't even fazed. Oh well...time to fight._ Before Hugo could finish thinking, Luc had spoken. 

"Now...we fight." With a roar of approval, the soldiers of Harmonian rushed towards the army of good, as the soldiers readied their weapons. 

* * *

Cliffhanger...the next chapter will be the major turning point of this story. Well, at least one of them. Read and review please! 


	7. A traitor shows her face, and the enemy ...

**The Best Deceptions**   
by Jeremy Gordon (gordon8_26@yahoo.com) 

**Note:** This will be the turning point of the story. It'll be long probably, and will develop the plot more than the last six chapters combined. Usual disclaimers apply. I'm going to start answering my reviews as well, at the end of each story. Read and review. 

* * *

Hugo whipped up his head in fury, as he jumped from his fallen opponent to the next like a deadly predator. Snarling, he thrust his dagger into the Harmonian soldier's face, as the man beneath him screamed like a banshee, in the pain. Tossing the body aside, Hugo spun around while slashing his knife, killing three soldiers in the process. 

Around him, the leaders of the battalions were having similar success. Pesmerga was a mighty demon in battle, towering over most of the enemy soldiers. Battering the Harmonian troops with his mighty sword, he looked as a god of war, tossing his opponents aside in fury and controlled strength. Chris and Salome were tremendous in battle as well, as the mighty Silver Maiden lived up to her name. Chris was a whirlwind of death, stabbing the many soldiers that came towards her with her iron blade of justice. Salome roughly beat his enemies with his mace, while stopping to cast a healing spell or two. Hugo smirked to himself, as he took out seven soldiers with a lightning spell. _The Silver Maiden...she fights well._ That was not the only surprise, as Hugo looked to his left. 

Hugo saw Tir and Riou, the two former heroes, battling like possessed demons. Flowing with expertise grace and fitness, they backed each other up, weapons flying. Hugo was amazed at the two men before him. _They are such amazing warriors...unbelievable._ Tir stabbed three Harmonian soldiers in a row with his staff, as Riou slashed the throats of two others. The look on their faces was one of harsh intensity, but with a resolved manner. Hugo turned around to see how the regular soldiers were doing, and blanched. 

The initial troops of four hundred looked to be down to roughly two hundred and fifty, as Hugo grimaced. They had taken out a couple hundred Harmonians, but six fighters alone couldn't face down sixteen hundred troops, with a pissed off mage leading them. Realizing this, Hugo's head jolted up in shock, as he spun around angrily. _Shit...where's Luc?_ Hugo ran through the masses to the outside, until he saw his enemy. 

Luc stood in front of Hugo, with an arrogant smirk on his face. "Finally, you realized where I was." Continuing to smirk, Luc drew a short sword out of his billowy robes, while maintaing his stare. "Let's end this now." Hugo nodded, and lept towards the Harmonian bishop. 

Luc stepped back, and parried with his sword. Following up with a short stab, Hugo jumped back in suit, parrying the same. Hugo then rushed at Luc, slashing many times, connecting none. At the end of this tirade, Hugo managed to hit Luc once...in the face. 

Luc stepped back in shock, as he gingerly touched the fresh blood from his newly made cut. Laughing, he threw his head up in pride. "It's been a long time since I've bled...I'll defeat you yet!" With that, Luc rushed at Hugo, stabbing multiple times. Hugo parried them all, knocked away Luc's sword, spun behind the mage, and slashed him in the arm, as Luc cried out in pain. 

"You bastard! You'll pay for that!" Teleporting a short distance away, Luc blasted Hugo with concentrated wind, inflicting many shallow cuts on the Karayan's face and arms. Yelling in agony, Hugo raised a hand to fry the incoming air with electricity, and did so. Concentrating his electric blast, Hugo narrowed his eyes and put both hands together. Luc smiled, and only increasing the onslaught of wind, while keeping one hand free. With a tremendous yell, Hugo pushed through and sent Luc spawling onto the ground in pain with 10,000 volts of electricity flowing into his body. Luc lay there for a second, but stood up slowly. Looking behind him, Luc saw his soldiers overpowering the struggling Budehuc forces. 

"Looks like your army's all gone, you stupid barbarian." Luc smiled, while holding his still bleeding arm. "I'm surprised you even had troops in defense...this was supposed to be a surprise attack." Hugo's eyes widened, as he began to questioned his weakened enemy. 

"What? You mean...you didn't send a message to our fortuneteller about you attacking us?" 

"How stupid do you think I am? I'd rather kill the lot of you in cold blood then fight you. But enough of that. I'll let my men finish the job on you and your stupid castle. Goodbye!" With that, Luc teleported out of sight, as Hugo got a sick feeling in his stomach. Running to the battle, Hugo found Chris and Pesmerga together, fighting the enemy. 

"Chris, Pesmerga! We need to retreat!" Hugo cried in a frenzy, his eyes tilted in fright. "There's something wrong! Luc didn't send us that message! It was someone else!" With an equally worried look, Chris nodded in agreement. 

"Retreat! Retreat! Fall back!" The remaining hundred troops started to run back to Budehuc, their light armor allowing them to run quickly. The Harmonian soldiers, still high at twelve hundred men, started to follow, but was corralled by a re-appeared Luc. 

"Wait! Give them ten minutes. Let them get their pitiful forces together." Luc sneered, his eyes catching Hugo's. _I'll kill you..._ "Golems, attack!" The stone monsters appeared, and stood silent, waiting for commands. As Hugo looked at his enemy, Riou and Tir ran over to Hugo, with an equally worried look on their faces. 

"Hugo!" Tir yelled, catching his breath. "Tenkai...there's something wrong with him! I think he's your castle master! We have to hurry back, now!" Puzzled, Hugo gestured motion with his arm, as the six warriors ran back to Budehuc. 

* * *

As Hugo arrived to the castle grounds, he found himself unable to speak, in shock. 

Budehuc burned before him. 

Entering the gates, he found Edge lying on the ground, his head propped up on his sword. Hugo ran over to his friend, as his companions looked for survivors. "Edge! What happened!" 

"I..I don't know." Edge coughed up a bit of blood, as he continued to speak. "They...they attacked us. It wasn't Harmonia...oh god." As Edge struggled to speak, Hugo knew that death was neath. As tears came to the young boy's eyes, he held onto Edge's hand for support. "Do...do this for me Hugo. Take my sword...find Viktor, and give it back to him. He will know what to do. Tell him I'm sorry..." With that, the swordsman known as Edge perished. Stifling a cry, Hugo put his forehead to Edge's forehead in peace, and laid him down. Taking the sword from underneath Edge, Hugo strapped it to his back, as he stood up. Running over to Riou, he asked for a damage report. 

"Riou! What did you find?" Riou shook his head, and answered. 

"Nothing...the buildings were set on fire. We found a lot of people dead...I don't know who they are. We should press on, I have a very bad feeling." Nodding, Hugo went over to Chris, as the six continued walking. As they reached the front of the main house, Hugo gasped, unable to speak. 

In front of him was his mother, holding the bloody body of Thomas. 

"Mother...what is this!?" Hugo cried frantically, waving his arm to the side. 

"Hugo...sorry you had to see this. I know who the winner will be, and Karaya always goes for victory." Lucia tossed the limp body of Thomas in front of her, as Chris caught him and checked his pulse. 

"He's still alive...thank god." Chris sighed in relief, and then turned her glare to Lucia. "You...witch! Why would you betray us?" 

"Did you really think I would stay on your side? Haha!" Lucia laughed harshly, while drawing her dagger. "I only serve my master...my master, and him alone!" 

"Luc? You stupid bitch! What did he do to you!?" Chris yelled in anger, as she also drew her sword. 

"Luc? Hah! He could never ever hurt my master...ever." Lucia said in contempt, her glare still fixated on Chris. 

"Really? I'd don't think so." Luc suddenly appeared to the side of Hugo, apparently healed. Hugo jumped back in surprise, in fright of this Luc at full strength. "I am the greatest enemy of fate, of humans everywhere. Who could rival my power?" 

"Me." As everyone turned, they saw the last person they'd expect to see standing there. 

"Eike!?" Hugo shouted in surprise and confusement. "What the hell is this?" 

"No...not Eike." Pesmerga's eyes narrowed, as he drew his blade also. "I can't believe I never noticed it. Damn it! I'm a fool!" 

"That you are Pesmerga, that you are." Eike said monotonously. 

"I should've recognized you...Neclord!" With a gasp of surprise, Tir and Riou staggered under the weight of Pesmerga's words. 

"Aren't you the clever little demon?" Eike said, his eyes narrowing dangerously. With a mighty howl, Eike arched his back and continued to yell. Stretching, the librarian grew a foot in height, as his hair turned blue and fangs sprung from his teeth. A black cape grew out of his librarian's clothes, as the vampire Neclord stood up to his full seven feet, in terror. 

"You...we killed you!" Riou yelled, pointing a finger. "How are you alive!?" 

"A good vampire always returns." Neclord said, baring his claws. "I won't tell you now, little boy. You've grown up little Riou...I'm so proud of you! And Tir....good old Tir. I can still remember the screams of your family as I killed them so long ago." Tir gasped in anger, as he stared at the vampire in front of him. "Oh and Luc...I am stronger then you." With a slight movement, Neclord lept from his place on the main house steps to behind Luc. With one twist of his hand, Neclord spun the stunned mage around, and slit his throat with a claw. Luc slumped over in death, his body landing on the stone floor. "Stupid boy." Turning to Hugo, Chris, Salome, Pesmerga, Riou, and Tir, Neclord smirked. "And now, for you." 

"Just a minute!" Salome brayed, drawing his mace. "I'll kill you first!" With a sight of exhaustion, Neclord ran to the Zexen leader and bit him in the neck. Before Salome could react, Neclord fed on him, sucking the man dry of blood before tossing his body to the ground. 

"Who's next?" Neclord snarled, revealing his fangs. Suddenly, a burst of electricity hit Neclord in the side, sending the vampire into the ground, howling in pain. Hugo looked to the side, and stared at the man before him. 

"No one." Geddoe retorted, lowering his still crackling hand to his waist. "I won't let you get any further." In front of him, Neclord snarled, getting up from the floor. 

"You...you bastard! Prepare to die!" Neclord yelled, his eyes blazing red in fury. "But first, a little surprise for the boy. Lucia! Bring him in!" With a nod, Lucia stepped briefly into the house and re-emerged, holding a man by his neck. Riou realized who he was, and yelled. 

"JOWY!!!" Riou yelled, his eyes widening. Running to his best friend, Riou lept over Salome's body, but was sent sprawling by Neclord's fist. 

"No no no...not yet. You see, you never killed Jowy. He was still alive...and seeing how I was as well, I turned him into a vampire before he could be buried. He slept for a while, and then I pulled him up. I knew he would serve a purpose if I ever saw you again...and here we are." Neclord finishing, staring at the panting Riou, who's eyes were tilted in fright. 

"Please...let him go! I'll do anything, just please!" Riou pleaded, looking at the dull eyes of his best friend. 

"No, I'd rather watch you suffer in pain. Now, for the mercenary." Neclord turned to Geddoe, his eyes blazing in fury. "You will die." With a leap, Neclord rushed towards Geddoe with claws spread out, as Geddoe sidestepped the blow and slashed Neclord with his sword. 

"Hugo! Go!" Geddoe yelled, as he hit the vampire with a blast of electricity while he jumped back. 

"Geddoe, no!" Hugo cried in disbelief, while withdrawing back. 

"Just go! I'll be fine!" Geddoe stabbed Neclord in the shoulder, as the vampire howled in agony. With a commanding look, he stared Hugo in the eyes, and Hugo understood. 

"Okay...Chris! Pesmerga! Tir! Riou! Let's go!" Hugo and the first three ran away, as Riou stood there, staring at his friend. "RIOU! RUN!" Riou looked at Jowy one more time, and spoke. 

"I swear to you...I will find you again Jowy." With that, Riou turned and ran, leaving his best friend behind him. Geddoe and Neclord were still fighting as Hugo turned around from a distance, and his mother was gone, with Jowy as well. Hugo turned back and continued running, with Chris, Pesmerga, Riou, and Tir next to him. Closing his eyes briefly, he shed a single tear for the events of the day. 

* * *

_Briar_: Why, thank you. I try. =\   
_tidus2529_: Too late. =\   
_FEEL-THE-MYSTIC_: Indeed...who knows? 

Well, that was long. Hope you enjoyed it. Updates by new week. Enjoy! Oh, and don't forget to review. 


	8. Two plus five makes seven

**The Best Deceptions**   
by Jeremy Gordon (gordon8_26@yahoo.com) 

**Note:** Whoo! Plot twist! I had the idea of Lucia's betrayal from Chapter 1, and got the Neclord idea while I was writing Chapter 6. I decided to introduce Jowy for the hell of it, that'll be elaborated on later. Riou's backstory will be explained to the others in due time. The travelling cast right now is Hugo, Chris, Riou, Tir, and Pesmerga. It'll grow to seven by the end of Chapter 10 (at the very max), and I can see the cast becoming ten by the end of Chapter 15. Guess who the two characters that'll be introduced by Chapter 10 are. C'mon, just guess. This chapter will be somewhat of an angst/humor chapter. Usual disclaimers apply. Read and review. 

* * *

As Hugo sat with his knees pulled up to his chest, he stared at the roaring fire in front of him, his eyes never leaving the burning flame. Thinking of the events that had transpired only a day before, he wiped a tear from his eye, while shaking his head. His world, his faith, his ideas had been shattered...he was truly alone in the world. All of his friends and family were either gone or dead. He heard a twig snap, as Riou walked up to him, and sat down next to the fire. 

"Hey..." Riou said softly, while putting a hand on the Karayan's shoulder. "You okay?" 

"I'm fine." Hugo said, while sniffing back the lump in his throat. "How are the others?" 

"They're fine." Riou answered, his tone unfaltering. "Chris fell asleep some time ago, and so did Tir. Pesmerga doesn't sleep...he's probably patrolling the area. He's like that." Chuckling a bit as he thought of Pesmerga's weird habits, Riou continued to talk. "But really, how are you dealing?" 

"Honestly?" Hugo said, with a sarcastic smile on his face. "I'm doing great! Great for someone who just found out that the one person I depend on the most is evil." Hugo brushed some hair out of his face, and shook his head. "I'll manage. Not to change the subject from my angsty feelings, but who was that guy that my mom was holding...Jowy, was it?" Riou stiffened, as he recalled his friend's face in memory. Sighing, Riou began his story. 

"Jowy...Jowy was my best friend. My story is similar to yours. When I was battling in the Dunan Unification War, I found out that the enemy I was fighting was none other than him. My best friend. One of two people I had depended on most was evil. It killed me. As the war ended, Jowy's rule as an evil king ended. I confronted him...and he wanted to die. In desperation, he attacked me, and I had to kill him. That's how I have my true rune...by killing my best friend. And now, finding out he's a damn vampire? That kills me. I've been alone ever since Jowy and...Nanami....died. Forced to rule Dunan." Riou finished, an ironic smirk showing on his face. "It'll always be like that." 

"Like what?" Hugo asked, in a questioning tone. 

"We'll always be alone. It's our curse...heroes of today, nobody tomorrow. Me and Tir...we're both alone." Riou announced, tapping a finger on the earthen ground. "It'll happen to you too. You won't find love. You won't find happiness. You'll just find torment and anguish, thanks to your True Rune. You'll watch everyone you know die, and you'll want to die too, but you can't. You just can't." Hugo withdrew from Riou in minor shock, as the horrible truth dawned upon him. "You know how old I am? I'm thirty. You know why I look like I'm fifteen? Because in reality, I am. How old are you...fourteen? Thirteen? You'll be that way for the rest of your life. Tir as well...he's sixteen, and he'll always be that age. We're the only things in this world that will never change, and that's all that needs to be said." Riou let his words sink in, as he produced a flask of water, and began to drink. Wiping his mouth clean with his sleeve, Riou continued to talk. "Enough of that. We should get going early in the morning. Neclord undoubtedly has a lot of support, I'm sure of it. You should sleep now . Good night." Riou got up and walked over to a nearby tree, and sat down while leaning against it, his eyes already closed in deep sleep. Sighing, Hugo curled up next to the fire, his eyes awake, thinking of himself and what was to come. 

* * *

"Come on Chris! Pick up the pace!" Hugo yelled, while glancing back at the silver-haired woman who was struggling to walk up the mountains. 

"Oh c'mon! Where the hell are we going anyways!?" Chris yelled, in anger and frustration. Brushing some hair out of her face, Chris struggled to walk up the rocky road, her armor a heavy burden on you. "How do you do it Pesmerga? How can you walk up the mountain with all the armor on?" 

Pesmerga 'hmph'ed, and continued walking. "Get stronger." Pesmerga said, leaving it as simple as that. 

"Haha! We don't need heavy armor, right Riou?" Tir chuckled, lifting his arms over his shoulders in giddyness. 

"Hell no! We heroes are invincible! We'll never need armor!" Riou shouted, mock-gallanting back to Chris, as he ran around her in a circle, laughing. Hugo giggled a little bit, and shook his head at the enthusiastic man running around like a little kid. "But Tir, where are we going?" 

"We're headed to Caleria at the moment. We'll rest there, then head to Tinto by way of Le Buque. It'll be a while...we then might head to Gregminster and regroup there, and maybe we'll go to Dunan and see if Riou still holds any office power." Tir explained, eliciting groaning from Hugo and Chris. 

"I'm tired of this. Can't we just stay in Caleria? Besides, this damn sword is wearing me down too much." Hugo complained, grumbling slightly. 

"What damn sword?" Riou asked, his eyebrow rising up in question. Tir and Pesmerga looked at Hugo, who began to explain. 

"_This_ damn sword." Hugo said, hoisting a giant sword off of his back. "A friend of mine gave it to me before he died back at Budehuc. He said to return it to Viktor...but you guys said you couldn't find him. Right?" Hugo asked, not noticing Tir, Riou, and Pesmerga staring open-mouthed at Hugo. Tir and Riou slapped their foreheads simultaneously, while Pesmerga cursed to himself. 

"You idiot! That's the Star Dragon Sword! That's what killed Neclord in the first place!" Riou shouted, now slightly pissed off. "Screw this whole Dunan slash Tinto slash Gregminster thing! We'll go to Caleria to get some info, and we'll find Viktor and Flik. Damn kids..." As the four continued walking uphill, Chris ran up to them, panting. 

"What happened?" 

* * *

Hugo walked into the Calerian bar, his eyes glancing around the dingy room, looking for familiar faces. Spotting Tir at the bar, Hugo walked over to the man, to find him arguing with the bartender. 

"I'm thirty-seven years old! Give me a damn beer!" Tir shouted, slamming his fist into the table in slight anger. Hugo sniggered a little, holding back to see what would happen. The bartender rolled his eyes, and pointed to a sign that said "No One Under 21 is Served a Drink". Grumbling, Tir settled for a soda, and sat down on the bar stool. As Tir saw Hugo, he raised a hand in recognition and gestured for the young boy to go over to him. Hugo did so, sitting down next to Tir. 

"So, where are the others?" Hugo asked, ordering a water to cool him down a bit. 

"Chris went to sharpen her sword. Pesmerga...no idea. He always disappears. Riou went to the Defense Force HQ to look for information. He'll show up in a few minutes." Tir answered, drinking noisily from his glass. "So, get what you needed?" 

"Yeah, I did." Hugo said, looking at the yellow stone on a ring that was on his finger. "So, what are we here for?" 

"Well, we're looking for Viktor and Flik. Viktor originally defeated Neclord fifteen years ago...you'll find out his story. News of Dunan travels as far as Caleria, so hopefully Riou has some influence in getting what we need. Once we find Viktor, we'll give him the sword, and accompany him to kill Neclord. Now we're just waiting for Riou, and we're good to go." As if reading Tir's mind, Riou walked through the doors of the bar, in a confident stride. 

"Beer me." He called out to the bartender, and caught the incoming glass with one hand. 

"What!? He's younger than I am!" Tir shouted in disbelief, as Riou began drinking. 

"Master Riou is a great leader. You are not." The bartender said haughtily, as Hugo gestured for Tir to let it go. Tir agreed, and turned to the "master", as he finished his drink. "So, find anything?" 

"Not much. They did say that Viktor and Flik are in the area. Hopefully, we'll find them soon. Don't know where they could be." Riou said, placing the empty glass on a nearby table. 

"Same old blind Tir, and blind Riou." A voice came from behind Riou, and it was familiar to both him and Tir. Riou chuckled, and as he closed his eyes, he spoke. 

"Well, I was wondering when you'd show up...Viktor." 

* * *

_Crimson Rogue:_ In due time. =P   
_Osiris Centauri:_ The people you think are dead aren't as dead as they seem. All will be explained.   
_Ayee33:_ Figured it would add a twist. Did I succeed?   
_FEEL-THE-MYSTIC:_ Chris wouldn't let herself be captured so easily, but I might do something in that idea. Chris will be paired up with someone else, although her and Hugo will be very good friends by the end of the fic. Be patient.   
_tidus2529:_ Write something, then criticize my writing. Just because I didn't make it "OMFGZ!1 TEH HUGO AND TEH CHRIS SLAYED TEH LUC AND TEN THEY HAD TEH SEXORZ IN DA CASTLE!111ONEONEONEONE" doesn't mean my story is bad. It just means you're unable to accept a new idea, and that isn't my problem.   
_Ice-God:_ Geddoe is my favorite S3 character...no way would I kill him. =) 

This chapter was hard to write...it was hard to bring in Viktor and Flik, and I didn't want to write five chapters of the crew looking for them. Flik will be introduced next chapter, and I'll go from there. Read and review. 


	9. Tacticians galore

**The Best Deceptions**   
by Jeremy Gordon (gordon8_26@yahoo.com) 

**Note:** Right-o. Viktor was introduced in chapter 8, and Flik will come in this chapter. My characterizations may be a little off on account of how I haven't played S1 or S2, but I'll do the best I can. The romantic pairings will be announced by next chapter, or at least some of them. This is shaping to be a 30 chapter story, but I might do a sequel to tie up any loose ends. Usual disclaimers apply. Read and review! 

* * *

As Viktor chatted with Tir and Riou while drinking a beer, Hugo couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive of the swordsman's reputation. He had gotten the impression from Riou that Viktor was a might warrior, and as he looked at the scruffy man with shaggy hair and dirty clothes, he was starting to doubt Riou's description. Tir seemed to notice Hugo giving Viktor weird glances, and shuffled over a seat to talk to him. 

"So, wary of Viktor?" Tir smirked, snapping Hugo out of his glance. "It's natural. I thought he was a poofter at first, but he's an amazing fighter. He just looks like that all the time." 

"What!?" Viktor shouted, after overhearing the younger man talking about him. "I'm never like this all the time! Stop talking trash about me McDohl!" Tir chuckled, waving the older man off with an airy hand. 

"Right-o then." Turning back to Hugo, Tir began to talk again. "We should get going soon. Where the hell are Chris and Pesmerga? Not to mention...Viktor! Where's Flik?" Tir shouted, drawing the older man's attention. 

"Flik? He's in Vinay del Zexay, if I remember correctly...he had some business to take care of there. If we're going to meet him, we should probably head out soon." Viktor answered, as he rested his mug on the counter. "By the way, why do you need me and ol' Flik? Sure, it's nice to see old friends, but why now of all times?" 

"Neclord's back." Riou revealed, drawing an unenthusiastic sigh from Viktor. "We need to kill him. We've got your old sword back, and we need _you_ to go kill him. Up for it?" 

"Argh...that stupid bastard never dies. Well, I s'pose. Don't have anything else to do." Viktor said, shaking his weary head to clear the cobwebs from his eyes. 

"Right then. We should find Chris, and then leave. Pesmerga can catch us on the way." Tir said, as he stood up from his seat. "C'mon old man. Got any skill left?" Drawing the ire of Viktor, Tir quickly walked away before Viktor would exercise said "skill" on Tir's head. Chuckling, Hugo stood up and followed Tir, as Riou and Viktor went in suit. 

* * *

"So...you're doing well?" 

"Yeah...I am." 

"How's the family?" 

"They're doing okay." 

"How's Leon?" 

"He's good. He hasn't seen you in a while." 

"Heh. No one's seen me in a while." 

"Point taken." 

"I never found out...how did Leon take the death?" 

"Badly. He didn't show it, but it hurt him, seeing family being killed off." 

"It's really too bad about that thing with Luca." 

"I know." 

"...it's really been too long." 

"I agree." 

"Tell Leon I'm sorry about Odessa, okay?" 

"I'll do that...it's good to see you, Flik." 

"You too, William." 

"Will you be staying in Vinay del Zexay?" 

"For a while. Viktor is meeting me." 

"I'll finally meet the famous swordsman...excellent." 

"You might be disappointed." 

* * *

"We've been on this road for three days now. Are we close?" Chris pouted, her lip curving downward in what appeared to be a girlish frown. 

"We're close. Stop whining." Riou said frustratingly, rolling his eyes. "Aren't you a Zexen Knight? What's with the tiredness?" 

"We ride on horses. We don't want miles and miles on foot." Chris replied exasperatingly, wiping a bead of sweat off her forehead. "It's damn hot out. Where are we anyways?" Tir and Riou both looked to Hugo, who sighed and answered. 

"Judging by the rock formations...we're at the edge of the Plain Amur. Are we passing through Brass Castle? It'll save two days of travel." Hugo asked, as everyone turned to Chris. 

"Why not? It's probably deserted...we took all of the knights before the battle with Luc, and now that all of the Six Knights are MIA save me, there probably aren't too many people at Brass Castle...they probably all migrated to Vinay del Zexay." Chris said, getting a little sadder. "Sad...the mighty knights of Zexen abolished." 

"You'll manage." Pesmerga grumbled, towering over Chris. "People die, and people live. It's an endless cycle. You're foolish to think you can change it." Chris only stared at Pesmerga, blinking. 

"Right. Tell me when we get to Vinay del Zexay, okay?" 

* * *

As the group of six stepped into the streets of Vinay del Zexay, Hugo looked around. It was more bustling than ever, with thousands of people on the streets, commuting. Hugo shivered as he stared at the tall buildings, a bit of animosity creeping into his thoughts. "Let's get moving, okay?" 

"We can stay at my house, okay?" Chris said, as the others gratefully nodded. 

"Right then." Viktor said, brushing the others away with a hand. "I'll meet you there. I have to go see Flik, okay?" Staring at Viktor with a puzzled look, Riou shrugged and walked away with the other four, as Chris began pointing things out. As Viktor made his way to the inn, he could only think if Flik had found the man he had wanted to find. Viktor was still unsure of who the man was, but he knew that he was important to Flik. 

Viktor stepped into the inn, and made his way up the stairs, disregarding the complaining innkeeper. Walking to the end of the hallway, Viktor opened the door and saw his best friend sitting next to a brown-haired man. Viktor narrowed his eyes, staring at the man. _He seems familiar...but who is he?_ Flik seemed to notice the tension, as he greeted Viktor. 

"Vik! How're you doing?" Flik asked, hoping to explain the presence of the man next to him. 

"I'm good. Tir, Riou, and Pesmerga are with me, with two others. Who's he?" Viktor said, not noticing the shocked look on Flik's face. 

"Tir? Riou? Uh...well, this is William." Flik said, introducing Viktor to William, who seemed to watch Viktor with a knowing air. 

"Okay. Why did you need to talk to him?" Viktor said gruffly, not liking the way William was staring at him. 

"You see...William is the third Silverberg brother. To Odessa and Mathiu, that is." Viktor's eyes re-widened, as he gaped at William, who was standing there sheepishly, while holding his hands. 

"Well, _shit_." 

* * *

Okay then. There is a third Silverberg sibling to Odessa and Mathiu, as confirmed by Suikosource. As you might have guessed, William will be the Silverberg in this story. Why William? Well, the Silverbergs have always had the normal names...Leon, Caesar, and Albert. I thought William sounded British and poncy, and the Silverbergs would be British if they could be. : ) 

_FEEL-THE-MYSTIC:_ Well, thanks. :^)   
_Galthos:_ Duly noted. =P   
_Omega Weapon:_ Yep. Plot twist galore.   
_Crimson Rouge:_ It's not Nash or Borus. Nash is with Sierra as mentioned in Chapter 5, and Borus is creepy. Don't worry, you'll find out in due time.   
_Holy Swordsman:_ Indeed he does, indeed he does.   
_DEL:_ Where do I start...First off, I always thought there was glaring evidence that Eike could be someone else. He's obviously a zombie/monster of some sort (never explained how he got to the lower levels without elevator, always has creepy glare), so that's sign one. Sign two, Ace mentions that he gets no aura from Eike, IIRC. That could either be interpreted as no aura meaning plain evil, or no aura meaning it's sort of forced upon him, his body. Do you watch Buffy? In an episode, a character notes that if one's persona is forced upon the, their aura is splintered, fractured. I interpreted that for the Eike thing, sort of. Third off, death. No one is as dead as they seem. I've planned to re-introduce several "dead" characters, with an ulterior plot motive that will make sense (not just "OMG! EDGE IS ALIVE! WOW, THAT'S SO AWESOME! HOW'D YOU DO IT!?" "WELL, I DRINK MILK AND HAVE VERY STRONG BONES...NO VAMPIRE COULD KILL ME!") On another note, everyone besides Thomas is creeped out by Eike. I just thought that Eike was a severely underused character with TREMENDOUS potential, and wasn't used at all in Suikoden III. We'll see what happens to him in Suikoden IV, maybe he'll be better utilized. Once again, I'm sorry if you dislike the Eikelord plot twist, but that's the way things go. Plus, if Eike DOES turn out to be Neclord in Suiko IV or V, I will laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh at you for the rest of eternity...in a good-natured way, of course. =P 

And a very special thanks to Crimson Rouge for putting this story on her favorite list. You rock, Crimson Rouge. Monkey see monkey do...get my drift, other readers? =P Come back next time. All feedback is appreciated. 


	10. Small talk and family friends

**The Best Deceptions**   
by Jeremy Gordon (gordon8_26@yahoo.com) 

**Note:** Wow...part 10 is here! This will elaborate a bit more on William's background, which is being shown in "Brother Alone" (a fic by me, explaining William's past). To everyone, be patient; the Chris pairing will be revealed in due time. If anyone has any non-romantic suggestions on what to do with the story, feel free to tell me in review. Criticism is welcomed; just not blatantly ignorant criticism (no "omg ur story sux wtf it should be a chris/landis u r a stupid fgt", okay?) As usual, all feedback is welcomed. Usual disclaimers apply. Read and review. 

* * *

"Right, so you and Flik have known each other for what...eighteen years is it?" 

Viktor leaned forward in his chair to ruffle his hair with a dirty hand, then leaned back and propped himself up on a table. "Shit, that's as long as I've known him. So, what gives? How do you two know each other?" Viktor hocked and spit a loogie into the corner of the hotel bar, as William stared at the warrior's uncouth manners with a look of 'god help me' on his face. Flik smiled a bit at his reaction, remembering what he had told William the night before on not being too enthralled with Viktor. Flik cleared his throat, and began to talk. 

"I went with William to the Silverberg estate eighteen years ago, with Odessa...I met him then. Remember when I was gone for a week? I was in Kalekka, 'meeting the parents', so to speak. Anyways, me and William stayed in touch over the years, when we could. It wasn't easy, considering how often me and you were on the road, but we managed. William got set up in Vinay del Zexay a month ago, and I went to see him." Flik explained, as Viktor rubbed his chin stubble with his hand, staring attentively. 

"Makes sense, s'pose. You! Will!" Viktor shouted hoarsely, startling the man slightly. "How're you related to the Silverbergs?" 

"I was brother to Mathiu and Odessa, and nephew to Leon. I'm cousins with Caesar and Albert, d'you know them?" William said, raising his blue eyes in brief hope. 

"No...Hugo and Chris might, though." Flik responded, rubbing his hands together. 

"Who?" William asked, slightly crestfallen at Flik's unrecognition of his cousins. 

"Two companions of ours. A Karayan and a Zexen. We're here with Tir also, and two others past that." Flik explained, as William nodded in approval. 

"A Karayan and a Zexen? Rather odd pairing there." William noted, evoking a laugh from Viktor. 

"Kid thinks like me, eh?" Viktor laughed, slapping William in the back with a broad hand, sending the man stumbling out of his chair. Flik just stared at Viktor, laughed, and helped William up from his position on the floor. William brushed his disheveled hair to the side, and yawned. 

"Well, I s'pose we'd better retire for the night. Meet me back here in the morning, okay? Bring the others." William stated, rubbing his weary eyes. Flik nodded, and stood up, as Viktor followed in suit. The three said their goodbyes, and parted for their respective beds. 

* * *

"I wonder where Viktor is..." Hugo said, his head perched on the windowsill, as he stared at the night sky. "He's been gone an hour. You think something happened to him?" Tir and Riou only stared at Hugo, and broke out in laughter. 

"Just...no." Tir said, laughing a bit. "He'll be fine. In all the years I've known Viktor, he's never been one to get beat up by a mugger at night." 

"Yeah." Riou said, backing up Tir. From behind Riou, the door opened, as Chris walked in, her armor off in favor for a nightgown. Tir's jaw dropped, as Riou and Hugo continued talking. 

_Man, she's really beautiful..._ Tir noted mentally, his eyes tracing the Zexen woman's body from head to toe. Noticing Chris looking at him with a confused glance, Tir quickly coughed and averted his glance away. 

"Chris, what are you here for?" Hugo asked, as Chris turned to the Karayan and answered him. 

"I was just wondering...where did Pesmerga go?" Chris asked, as Riou sighed and shook his head. 

"Pesmerga doesn't sleep. Probably on account of the whole helldemon thing. He usually disappears around nightfall, but he'll turn up tomorrow." Riou explained, as he fluffed the pillow behind him. "Don't fret, okay?" Chris' eyes narrowed, visibly annoyed by Riou implying that she was a complainer. 

"Of course not. Good night, everyone." Chris glared at Riou, as she spun around and exited the room. 

"G'night." The three said simultaneously, and fell back onto their beds at the same time, pulling the covers over themselves, each dreaming of a place other than combat. 

* * *

The next morning, Chris entered the trio's room, to find them all soundly sleeping. Grinning a bit, she exited the room, closing the doors silently behind her. Walking to the study of the mansion, she saw a familiar figure standing in the middle of the room. Chris sighed, and started conversation. 

"So. You're back." 

"Yeah, I am." 

"Why?" 

"Heard a relative of mine was in town." 

"...?" 

"Never mind. Who're you with?" 

"Tir, Riou, Hugo, and Viktor. We're meeting Flik later today. Pesmerga is also lurking around somewhere." 

"Just like old times." 

"....Right. Besides that, what else do you have to do here? That can't be it." 

"I came to pay respects to your father. I heard he died recently." 

"He did." 

"I'm sorry. I first met Wyatt some thirty years ago, when he was on the run." 

"And...?" 

"I just had to say goodbye to an old friend." 

"Indeed." 

"Well, that's it. I'm going back to Kalekka. Come visit sometime." 

"Hah! Like I'll ever get a break." 

"True...anyways, give my regards to William." 

"...William?" 

"Goodbye, Chris." 

The man walked past Chris outside the door, leaving the silver-haired woman wondering who he was talking about. Sighing in exasperation, Chris went into the hallway to wake up Tir, Riou, and Hugo. 

* * *

Nooooo....I'm running out of ideas....this chapter was so short because of that exactly....I have ideas, but I don't know how to transition them. -_- I'm too tired to answer reviews for chapter 9. R/R 


	11. Blast from the past

**The Best Deceptions**   
by SDM (gordon8_6@yahoo.com) 

**Note:** Whoa, I haven't updated in a long while. Sorry about that…umm, I've had a lot of stuff recently, and I've been in the midst of a little writer's block. I've gotten through it though, for the first new chapter in a long while. I've returned to the original storyline, having found myself a copy of Suikoden 1 AND 2. Now that I'm all prepped, I feel confident enough to write about the characters in each game. And so…read and review! 

* * *

Chris closed the doors behind her, blowing the hair out of her face. Chris was a little put off by the surprise visit, and certainly confused by it. _I'll get down to the bottom of it in the morning._ Walking down the empty hallway to her room at the end, she felt a cool breeze on her right side. Turning slightly, she saw the doors to the balcony open, a lone figure standing at the perch of the balcony. Wary, Chris walked to the balcony, creaking the door a bit. The person heard the sound of the door, and spun around to see Chris standing there, staring at him. 

It was Tir. 

"Tir, what are you doing here?" Chris asked, stepping closer to the McDohl youth. _I just thought of him as a youth...but he's older than I am!_ Tir looked at her with a small grin, and turned back to the balcony, looking at the stars. 

"Thinking." Tir spoke, still gazing at the stars above him. "It's funny. You never realize how much you liked someone until they're gone." Chris softened a bit, realizing who Tir was talking about. 

"Luc." Chris responded, walking to the spot next to Tir. 

"I guess...I first met Luc eighteen years ago. I thought he was a cocky little bastard, but he was always there. Seeing him dead, it's sort of shocking to me. We were never really friends, but still..." Chris raised the corners of her mouth slightly, putting a reassuring hand on Tir's shoulder. Tir seemed to accept it, but was still unresponsive. 

"Tir...its okay. We'll beat this guy. Right?" Tir chuckled a bit, revelling in his own softheartedness. 

"I hope we do, Chris." Tir smiled a bit, before turning to go back to sleep. "I hope we do." 

* * *

"So, we meet again." Tir said, taking a look at the man in front of him. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" 

"It sure has." William smiled, shaking Tir's hand. "So, you must be...Riou, Hugo, and...Chris." William seemed to hang onto Chris's name, but it went undetected by the young Zexen. 

"Yeah, that's us." Hugo said, smiling back at the seemingly proper noble. "So, you're a Silverberg? Like Caesar, right?" William's eyes flashed at the mentioning of his kin's name. 

"He's my cousin. What's become of him?" William asked, awaiting an answer from the Karayan youth. 

"We don't know. We haven't seen him in over two weeks." Chris cut in, her face a grim mask. _Since Neclord probably killed him and Apple..._ William noted the look on her face, and frowned. 

_That means something bad._"Well, we'll figure out in due time. So, what's the general plan?" 

"We take down that bastard vampire." Viktor said gruffly, swinging the Star Dragon Sword onto his back, walking out from the hotel room. "We're ready." 

"Well, where do we go first?" 

"I don't know. Where DO you go?" A dark voice said, as the group turned to see their adversary standing right before them. Neclord snarled, raising his twisted lips in a grotesque smile, as Viktor drew the Star Dragon Sword into his hands. "Oh don't bother—that old sword couldn't hurt me. Not at the state I'm in." 

"How the hell did you find us?" Hugo asked, drawing his dagger to his waist. 

"It was that rusty old thing," Neclord revealed, raising a pointed finger at the Star Dragon Sword. "I could sense the Night Rune in it, and using my phase magic, went from your old castle to here." Viktor seemed to accept this, but spoke in question. 

"Neclord…" The vampire hunter started out, as the vampire king awaited his inquiry. "When me and Riou last saw you, we sealed your soul using Kahn Marley and Sierra's magic. How did you come back?" 

"Oh, that's for me to know, and you to find out." Neclord sneered, and then pointed his finger at William, who recoiled. "Once I turned Caesar, he told me about you. I don't need another Silverberg mussing up my plans again." William gasped, but as Neclord fired a bolt of purple lightning, Viktor swung the Star Dragon Sword in its path, deflecting it to the roof. 

"Come on, let's go!" Viktor shouted, as he grabbed William's arm and ran. Before Neclord could react, Tir raised his arms at the creature and started chanting. 

"Soul Eater…bind my foe!" A flash of light sparked, and Neclord was encased in a black casing. Tir seemed shaken, but recovered quickly. Looking back at their foe, Tir, Chris, Hugo, Riou, and Flik ran out of the room, down the stairs, and to the outside. An explosion then came from the room they had just left. Flik looked up, and saw the gruesome vampire jump out of the room's window, and land on the ground. 

"Guys…time to go!" Flik yelled, as the others followed his suit. They got to the city's entrance quickly, but were stopped by a chilling sight. 

Lucia stood at the front of the gate, with seemingly hundreds of zombie soldiers in front of her. The group froze, as Neclord came up from behind them, to hold them in their place. "But…how?" Hugo queried, but was stopped short when the dark figure of Pesmerga materialized next to his mother. 

"Pesmerga! You bastard!" Viktor yelled, drawing a smile from the armored demon. "You sold us out?" 

"No, no…not Pesmerga…Yuber." Yuber smiled, and made his armor disappear, revealing his familiar suit. 

"But…how? We saw you get killed!" Chris shouted, as Lucia began to chuckle. 

"That was my own doing." Lucia started, as Hugo looked at his mother in disbelief. "After the plan was revealed to collect the 'heroes' of old, I knew that Pesmerga and Yuber looked the exact same. Yuber was never quick to join Luc, and would easily defect to Neclord's side…so I contacted Yuber and told him of the plan. Yuber learned Neclord's body-double technique, and used it to make a copy of himself. He then sent it to Budehuc Castle, and appeared as Pesmerga to defeat the double, getting into your pathetic army with ease. The merging of the runes? A mere light show. It surprised me, I didn't think you'd be fooled so quickly." Lucia finished, and then drew her whip. "Now, let's finish this." Suddenly, a familiar figure dressed in blue and white appeared out of seemingly nowhere. 

"Viki!" Hugo yelled, as he and Chris ran over to the confused teleporter. "Where are you coming from?" 

"Harmonia," Viki said quickly. "But there's no time. You have to come with me, now!" Behind her, Tir, Riou, Viktor, Flik, and William still faced off against the zombie army. Viki grabbed onto Hugo's arm, and pulled him close. 

"Wait, why?" Hugo asked, pulling his arm back in suspicion. 

"Neclord, he's somehow changed time. It's all wrong." Viki told Hugo, and then pulled him back. "Now come on, let's go!" Viki waved her scepter, opening up a bluish portal. Neclord seemed to know what this was, and cried out in protest. Viki pushed Hugo into the portal, and followed shortly. The portal was still open. 

"Dammit!" Viktor cursed, as he kept his sword in front of him. "That stupid Viki…Chris!" He drew the attention of the Zexen, who was looking at the portal in awe. "Follow them! Now!" Chris was about to protest, but saw the look of urgency in Viktor's eyes, and jumped into the portal. It closed right after, as Neclord cursed in fury. Viktor turned and saw the zombie army in front of him. With Flik, Riou, Tir, and William beside him, he readied for battle. 

* * *

_Sometime later…_

Hugo opened his eyes to find himself on a dock, with Viki and Chris right next to him, similarly unconscious. Hugo looked around, and saw a lot of people around him. A man with brown hair came up to the Karayan boy, as Hugo began to speak. 

"Who…who are you…Where am I?" Hugo barely had the strength to keep his eyes open. 

"My name is Mathiu Silverberg and you're at Toran Castle. Who are you?" With that bit of information taken in, Hugo collapsed on the ground 

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Review it, I guess. 


	12. To hear doesn't mean to understand

**The Best Deceptions**   
by SDM (gordon8_26@yahoo.com) 

**Note:** Oh man…where do I start? First off, I've been meaning to update for the longest time, and I'm really sorry that I haven't. The reason I haven't is because I just started sophomore year, and I'm kidding when I say that I've had absolutely no time to write. Combined with a case of writer's block and no inspiration, I've been pressed to do anything…but still, here it is. Part twelve! Oh man, this is going to rock. Hopefully, I'll be able to update a few more times over Christmas break, and continue doing it in my spare time, at least a couple times a month. Disclaimers apply to Suikoden universe, and please review! 

* * *

_Wake up Hugo… _

Wake up… 

Please…wake up… 

In a dark room, a young man's eyes snapped wide open. He tried to sit up, but found it nearly impossible as a torrent of pain barraged his neck and his side. He noticed that he was almost in complete dark, but sunlight had begun to filter through the curtains next to him. The young man sat there in silence for a few minutes, as the sunlight began to pour through. Ten minutes later, the room was illuminated with a bright light, as the young man saw where he was. 

He didn't know where he was. 

"Hugo…it's good to see you've woken up." The Karayan known as Hugo snapped his face up to see a familiar figure clad in blue and white, sitting at the foot of his bed. His eyes narrowed, and his mouth began to open in query, but the figure interrupted his slow-to-form thoughts and began to speak. 

"I know you have a lot of questions, and I'm about to answer them. It's time you learned about everything." Viki's eyes, which normally flashed a bright blue, gave off an aura of sadness. 

"First off…just who the hell are you?" Hugo spoke in a harsh tone, as Viki gave a faint little smile. Hugo's mind was shaking off the dust, and was racing at a mile a minute. 

"Well, my name really is Viki. That much you know already. What I haven't told you is that I'm one in an order of seven that protects this universe. I represent the Watcher of Time, and it's my duty to watch over every event in history, and interfere in the ones that need interfering in. That is how I've appeared in every major war, from the Toran Liberation to the Dunan Unification without aging a day." 

"An order…? Who else is in the order, and how did you come into being?" Hugo couldn't quite comprehend what Viki was telling him. She had always seemed like an innocent, yet ditzy girl…how was any of this possible? 

"It's an order that was established at the beginning of time by the leader of the order. Over time, the seven members have awoken from their slumber to join us in our fight to maintain the universe. I am Time, and I am the only one of our order who remains besides the leader. Neclord has killed the other five. You remember Aila? How she mysteriously appeared in Budehuc after being attacked by Yuber? That was her spirit awakening, for her to be one of the order. She was supposed to be the Keeper of the Earth, to protect the spirits and maintain a connection with nature. But no…Neclord has seen fit to kill the others, and hide away the leader. Even I don't know where he is." Viki paused for a second, to slip her shoulder out of her robe, revealing an elaborate tattoo. "This is what signifies my being in this order. My staff allows me to pass through time when needed, and is also handy for whacking grass clumps." Viki chuckled, but Hugo remained stone-faced. 

"If you're this great order and all, why did you wait so long to interfere? Why didn't you go back in time and kill Neclord before he ever came into creation, so you could stop this mess?" Hugo's tone remained accusing, as Viki frowned. 

_Damn. I knew he wouldn't understand at first._ "I'm a Watcher. I'm not supposed to interfere directly…I'm just supposed to watch and help when help is needed." 

"Well, we sure could've used a lot of damn help before we were all slaughtered by Neclord and his pigs. So much for your order. And where the hell is Chris?" Hugo finally remembered his Zexen comrade, who had jumped into the portal with him. 

"…I…I can't give you an answer to what Neclord has done. I can only give my apologies on behalf of our leader. As for Chris, she's talking to the strategist of this time, Mathiu Silverberg. You can find them two floors down---". Before Viki could finish, Hugo had lept out of bed, and was running to the stairs, regardless of his injuries. 

* * *

"You see, if you grip Barbarossa's forces **here** and **here**, you can trap him and force him to surrender his provisions and supplies. That should provide enough weapons for the new influx of troops." As Hugo barged into the room, he saw Chris Lightfellow pointing at a map, with a man standing next to her. 

_I recognize him…Mathiu Silverberg…_ Hugo thought to himself, but shook his head and walked over to the two. "Chris. How are you doing?" Chris turned around, when she saw the young man's weary but alert face, she was shocked. 

"Hugo! My goddess, I thought you'd never wake up! It's been a week since we got here, and you've been asleep ever since you passed out on the docks." Chris seemed like she wasn't that surprised by where she was, so Hugo felt fit to ask. 

"Chris…you do realize where we are, right? Eighteen years---" Hugo started to say, but was stopped as Chris cut him off. 

"---years after Barbarossa attacked the Karayan clan! Right, I do. And believe me; you'll finally get your revenge when we attack his troops tomorrow." Chris smiled and covered for the confused Hugo, as Mathiu watched in puzzlement. "Mathiu, take a look at this map again." As the older man looked down, Chris waited before giving Hugo a "don't ask" look before she started pointing out other places on the map. "The areas here and here are heavily wooded, so you can station a bunch of archers there to pick off his troops through guerilla warfare. Unless Barbarossa can tell the future, he'll never see it coming. You should relay the plans to Tir; I have to talk to Hugo for a second." Raising her head away from the map, Chris grabbed Hugo by the shoulder and dragged him to the next room. Once they got there, Hugo voiced his dissent immediately. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You mean he doesn't know…?" Hugo hissed, as Chris told him lower his voice through gestures and hushed tones. 

"He can't know! He can't know that we know about everything that will happen, and we sure as hell can't tell him. It would disrupt all of time as we know it; Viki explained it to me." Chris told Hugo, who wasn't consoled in the slightest bit. 

"I don't like this. I don't like this one bit. What are we supposed to do before we get back to our own time?" Hugo asked in a much calmer voice. 

"I don't know. Viki said Neclord has somehow disrupted the timeline, and that we have to defeat the Scarlet Empire before she can move us forward in time, and that means winning the war. We have to avoid changing history as much as we can, hard as it may be." Chris said, as Hugo remained silent. "Hugo?" 

"We have to get back to the present. We left Viktor, Flik, Tir, Riou, and William alone to face that madman; who knows what he did to them! They may be great heroes, but even they couldn't have warded off a zombie army!" 

"Me and ole' Hardass couldn't do what now? A zombie army? Please, don't make me laugh." Hugo and Chris turned, to see a younger version of the bear man that Hugo had seen…well, it seemed like just yesterday. "Mademoiselle, would you like to tell me what you're talking about?" Viktor pronounced the foreign word as may-duh-moy-zill, but Chris had gotten his point. 

"Uh…we were just betting on whether you or Flik could beat up a zombie army with your hands tied behind your backs." Chris explained in a hurry, as Hugo rolled his eyes. 

_Come on, no one could be that dumb---_ Hugo thought, but stopped as he heard a loud voice. 

"Ah! Well in that case---of course we could! Man, the ladies all dig the V-man, that's what…" Viktor said to himself, as he walked away, more or less content. Waiting until he was gone, Chris craned her neck around the corner to watch his feet disappear before turning back to Hugo and speaking. 

"You see? We can't do anything. Now, just bear with me and Viki for a while, and we'll be back before you know it." Before Hugo could protest, Chris walked off, leaving Hugo by himself in the hallway. Hugo sighed, and observed his surroundings. 

_It's not as nice as Budehuc, but it'll have to do, I guess._ Sighing, he began walking towards the nearest end, and found a door. Walking through it, he saw stairs, which he went up. Exiting into the room in front of him, he saw two big stone tablets and a figure that seemed familiar. Walking some more, he saw who it was. 

It was Luc. 

Hugo almost sprang up in defense, putting his hand on his knife, but he stopped. _Right…this isn't Luc from my time. It's Luc from the past. Can't kill him, I'd just mess up time. But goddamn, the urge is there…_ As if he had heard this, the past self of Luc smiled and looked at Hugo. 

"It's lovely to see you too, Hugo." 

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Dun dun dunnnn! Hopefully, I'll update within the next few weeks. Enjoy, and please review! 


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